Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-07
IN IHE JAWS OF DEATH.
Thrilling Story Of the Wreck of the
Schooner r. w. base.


already been briefly described by the
kilograms of the MORNING NEWS and
announcement made yesterday of the
rescue OF the crew. The following addi-
tiOnal facts are from the Charleston
News and Courier OF sunday;
The names of the persons on board the
Chase are as follows: Capt. Mason, First
Mate Henry Stindt, second Mate William
Curtis, Pilot Fischer, Steward Robert
Burse (colored) and sailors William
Mcdonald, Aleck Gsert, Christian Lind
wall and David Cooke.
At Charleston saturday afternoon,
Capt. Mason and Pilot f. d. Fischer we're
seen by News and Courier reporter at
the Office of Messrs. Cohen q Wells. They
there agreed on the following statement
of the accident: "On Friday afternoon
we were taken IN tow by the tug Monarch
at about high water. and reached the bar
about O'Clock. We were making good
Roadway when we met the City Of At
lanta. She came on directly for us, and
struck us on the port bow. The shock
! parted our tow line from the Monarch,
cutting cur vessel down to the waters
edge. A strong northeast wind was blow
Ing astern and we let 20 our anchor to
| prevent our getting ashore. AS soon as
possible the tug got around and threw US
the line again, at the same time calling the
cutter to our assistance. But we had
already dragged the tug so far that it be-
gan to touch bottom and was obliged to
cut loose to save itself. We do not know
whether the City of Atlanta was unman-
ageable or not. All " do know is that there
was room enough between us and the OBJ
struction buoy for the steamer TO pass.
! The interval between us ana the buoy
was fully three lengths Of the City OF At
lanta. The wind was blowing from us
toward the steamer. The City of Atlanta
could have passed us on the opposite or
west side OF the obstruction buoy. Just
short time before she struck US she had
been blowing salutes either for the tug
Monarch OF for an inward bound vessel
that was Just then passing the City OF
Columbia)."
First Mate Stindt volunteered to tell all
about the disaster. He first said that he
could not understand whv they had been
abandoned GA Friday night by the Nc
Culloch and the Monarch. After the col
lisIon everything was in the utmost con-
fusion, for IL was not known to what eX-
tent the schooner had been damaged, or
whether she would not founder withia
the next few minutes. The wind was
blowing tiercely from the northeast, and
after the vain attempts OF tue tug and the
cutter 10 succeed in making fast, the
sooner was literally at the mercy of the
winds and waves. No Roadway could be
made, and in a few minutes so rapid was
the drift that the schooner began to
"thump" heavily, and to roll and pitch with
the stroke of each returning wave. Every
moment they were being forced higher
and higher up the beach in the direction
of the lighthouse, on the south shore. AS
a last resort we let go both anchors and
kept our head, as best we could, to the
wind. After a full hour of imminent dam
ger the vessel stuck hard and fast in the
sand, and began slowly to sink, wearing
out for itself a bed by the pitching and
rolling of the vessel. This was about f.
or little after O'Clock. We had parted
company, as it>Ypeared to US, with our
only hope, the Ag and the cutter, and al
most mechanically ran up the ensign,
union jack down, as signal of distress,
and calmly awaited our fate. And 50
we waited, the water rising in the
hold and the sea sweeping over
US, and the pilot and the Captain sweep
ing the sea with their glasses to see If.
perchance, anything was coming our
way. The signal must have been plainly
visible TO the lIie-saying station, and to
that we turned as the last hope Ofdespair
Nothing came, and the night closed in
rapidly. The sky was thick overhead
and OF inkv blackness. There was moth
ing to be seen except the lighthouse
beacon from shore. The night was bit
Ltfll COiu anu IUH EIfc 'IFfNN Tue spray IN
our faces, blinding Ia AMI adding to the
terror of the situation. The severe pound
ing that tue schooner underwent broke
TWO of the panks In the hull al last,
and food of water entered
There was nothing then to do
but go alott. This was fully hall mile
rom where we were run into. We first
all went up to the furetopmast. but after
ward, fearing the imposed weight might
hn Nd
divided the party, distributing ourselves
on the three masts. We sat, or rather
hung to the crOss-treeS, not knowing
what an instant might bring forth. At
about 10 O'Clock the sea partially subsidized
at low water. We were then chilled TO
the bone and benumbed. With almost SUI
perhuman eXertIons we clamb-
cred, or rather fell down the
masts and struggled to get
a position on top of The forward house.
rnere we used all possible endeavor to
regain some OF our strength by walking
up aud down on the roof. Even this was
too dangerous, and at 1880 we went back
TO the rigging, and then began a vigil
almost impossible TO describe. Death
stared us actually in the face, so painful
all through the long hours that scarcely a
word was spoken. Every feeling OF any
tniug except seil-preservation mad been
frozen up. All this was terrible enough,
but a new danger arose. At O'Clock 10
the morning our last boat was washed
away, the other one having been swept
loose on Friday evening. Then the cabin
was smashed in and the poop deck and
the forward house. The vessel was, in
fact, going to pieces. To increase, If DOS
sible, the confusion of the night, at
O'Clock the masts on which we were
clinging began to creak and sway. Then
we gave up all, the very last hope. With
the wrenchlng OF the masts our falling
into the sea was a foregone conclusion.
But it was not to be, and our hopes began
to revive as daylight appeared. The
dawn was our most wished for friend. II
we only had the light, we said, we could
die at best in an Intelligent effort to save
our lives. That WAS still our hope aud
belief when we sighted the stack of the
first tug coming to our assistance, We
knew then we were saved. suppose you
know the rest.
Capt. w, G. Reyel said, relating the
part That the tugs took in the rescue, that
ne. in company with the other vessels al
ready mentioned, left the city about $3.50
O'Clock Saturday morning and reached
| the schooner a little after O'Clock. On
| their arrival ABREAST OF the lighthouse the
| schooner was made out, the crew hug
! ging fast to the rigging. lie counted
| eight, three in the shrOuds and five on the
/ mainmast. This was within distance